EFFICACY OF DIFFERENT CROP ESTABLISHMENT METHODS ON YIELD

AND ECONOMICS OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.)IN SANDY LOAM SOILS OF JAMMU REGION

Saha Anuradha1 and Bharti Vijay2

1Jr. Scientist (Agronomy), AICRIP on Rice, and 2Jr. Scientist (Agronomy), WMRC, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural

Sciences and Technology-Jammu, Chatha, Jammu, India

INTRODUCTION

* Decreasing availability of water for rice

* Uncertainty in water supply due to unequal

distribution of rainfall or failure of monsoons.

* Decreasing soil health as well as declining

sustainability of rice production systems.

* Need for water saving and for economically

beneficial and sustainable technology

Recognizing these problems, experiments were conducted during kharif 2005 and 2006

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate different crop establishment methods which can help in water saving.

To evaluate the methods in terms ofwhich has consequent effect on growth, yield and economics of rice.

MATERIAL AND METHODSDesign : RBD Replications : 4Cultivar : PC-19 (Local high-yield variety)Soil : Sandy loam with pH of 7.14Treatments1. Normal Transplanting (NT) @ 30 days, 3 seedlings / hill2. System of Rice Intensification (SRI): TP @ 12 days, single seedling3. Integrated Crop Mgmt (ICM): TP @ 18 days, 2 seedlings4. Drum Seeding 5. Line Sowing 6. BroadcastingAll methods except for SRI and ICM maintained 5±2cm of stagnant water up to 15 days

before harvesting With SRI, saturated condition until panicle initiation was maintainedWith ICM, alternate wetting and drying condition was practised

RESULTS SRI showed the highest yield attributes. Highest grain yield was obtained with SRI, followed by NT

and ICM. Maximum water use efficiency was showed by SRI method NT used 21.27 and 10.50 per cent more water compared to

SRI in both years. Maximum net returns and highest benefit:cost ratio were

obtained from SRI.

CONCLUSION Although SRI requires more skill for transplanting and weed

management, it reduces water requirement as well as lowers cost of production.

SRI can increase yield compared to normal TP.

SRI and ICM Nursery

Drum Seeding and Line Sowing